Congratulations! You made it! You survived and excelled in your student teaching. You are now a science teacher! If you would, take a few minutes to share your wisdom about how to negotiate this difficult year with the students who are following in your footsteps by answering the following questions.
a. What are some things students should do in their fall practicum to make their student teaching go more smoothly?
Study your unit and know the inside and outside of the units. Break it into an outline or concept map and use that to help guide you for the spring.
Learn all students names during the observation period. Students respect you more if they know that you care enough to learn names. Observe your COOPERATING TEACHER, not the students. If you do not feel like you can embrace your cooperating teacher's methods in the classroom, consider getting a new CT. I spent much time observing students, but not too much observing my CT. It may be an easy way to avoid catastrophe in the spring.
b. What 430 topics/assignments should students make sure are addressed in detail to prepare them for student teaching?
Classroom management:
"Acting" is a good strategy to get students to listen to you. My CT advised me to pick a movie/TV star "stern/tough" personality and act their role in the classroom. Apparently, high school students actually fall for this trick and you can secretly have fun.
Communication between your CT:
Talk about specific ways to communicate with your CT, such as weekly meetings, summaries of their expectations, or any feedback that you can get from them.
c. Help the next group of science education student teachers by completing the thought: "If I knew in September what I know now, I could have done a better job during student teaching if I had ...."
...Not smiled. Not laughed & been really tough the first two weeks of student teaching. I feel this might have been an easy way to conquer the first stages of good classroom management.
...not spent so much time self-analyzing and picking apart my lessons. Just teach. Just grade how you planned to grade. Just embrace what you did. There is always room for improvement next time. If I had spent that "nit-pick" time creating tests and quizzes I could have made my CT happier and had EVIDENCE of my hard work.
...spoken up and asked for a new CT when I felt like I was struggling to teach how my teacher wanted me to teach and I could not embrace it.
... had a weekly meeting with my CT to make sure communication was good.
d. Are there other words of wisdom/encouragement that you want to share?
As a student, you will be required to do what your CT asks when it comes to teaching and assessments. If you can not embrace this, find a teacher with whom you can. Student teaching and collaborating with my CT is one of the hardest things I have ever done. Set things straight with your CT in the beginning. If surprises come up, address them address them address them immediately with all URI professors and CTs. Know that your CT has the power to voice their concerns to any person in authority, and so do you. Communication is KEY with your CT. Stick up for yourself if miscommunication does occur.
In student teaching, you are likely to fail 10,000 times, but for each failure, you will learn twice as much. Stay positive by loving your time spent with the students. The students are the reason why you are there. If all else fails, focus your efforts on providing them with the best instruction you can offer! You cannot loose sight of things if you stay focused on being the best teacher for your students you can be. You are their teacher and you have a teacher's responsibilities now, even if your CT gives the final say in instruction. Good luck and remember, even if your students see you as a teacher, you are not one yet. Most importantly, you are still the student and will be scaffolded in the ways your CT desires. Recognize your role and do what you can with it.
a. What are some things students should do in their fall practicum to make their student teaching go more smoothly?
Study your unit and know the inside and outside of the units. Break it into an outline or concept map and use that to help guide you for the spring.
Learn all students names during the observation period. Students respect you more if they know that you care enough to learn names.
Observe your COOPERATING TEACHER, not the students. If you do not feel like you can embrace your cooperating teacher's methods in the classroom, consider getting a new CT. I spent much time observing students, but not too much observing my CT. It may be an easy way to avoid catastrophe in the spring.
b. What 430 topics/assignments should students make sure are addressed in detail to prepare them for student teaching?
Classroom management:
"Acting" is a good strategy to get students to listen to you. My CT advised me to pick a movie/TV star "stern/tough" personality and act their role in the classroom. Apparently, high school students actually fall for this trick and you can secretly have fun.
Communication between your CT:
Talk about specific ways to communicate with your CT, such as weekly meetings, summaries of their expectations, or any feedback that you can get from them.
c. Help the next group of science education student teachers by completing the thought: "If I knew in September what I know now, I could have done a better job during student teaching if I had ...."
...Not smiled. Not laughed & been really tough the first two weeks of student teaching. I feel this might have been an easy way to conquer the first stages of good classroom management.
...not spent so much time self-analyzing and picking apart my lessons. Just teach. Just grade how you planned to grade. Just embrace what you did. There is always room for improvement next time. If I had spent that "nit-pick" time creating tests and quizzes I could have made my CT happier and had EVIDENCE of my hard work.
...spoken up and asked for a new CT when I felt like I was struggling to teach how my teacher wanted me to teach and I could not embrace it.
... had a weekly meeting with my CT to make sure communication was good.
d. Are there other words of wisdom/encouragement that you want to share?
As a student, you will be required to do what your CT asks when it comes to teaching and assessments. If you can not embrace this, find a teacher with whom you can. Student teaching and collaborating with my CT is one of the hardest things I have ever done. Set things straight with your CT in the beginning. If surprises come up, address them address them address them immediately with all URI professors and CTs. Know that your CT has the power to voice their concerns to any person in authority, and so do you. Communication is KEY with your CT. Stick up for yourself if miscommunication does occur.
In student teaching, you are likely to fail 10,000 times, but for each failure, you will learn twice as much. Stay positive by loving your time spent with the students. The students are the reason why you are there. If all else fails, focus your efforts on providing them with the best instruction you can offer! You cannot loose sight of things if you stay focused on being the best teacher for your students you can be. You are their teacher and you have a teacher's responsibilities now, even if your CT gives the final say in instruction. Good luck and remember, even if your students see you as a teacher, you are not one yet. Most importantly, you are still the student and will be scaffolded in the ways your CT desires. Recognize your role and do what you can with it.